Independence of Tibet
The Independence of Tibet lasted from 2017 to sometime in the early 2020s. Background Free Tibet movement The Tibetan independence movement was principally led by the Tibetan diaspora in countries like India and the United States, and by celebrities and Tibetan Buddhists in the United States, India and Europe. The movement is no longer supported by the 14th Dalai Lama, who although having advocated it from 1961 to the late 1970s, proposed a sort of high-level autonomy in a speech in Strasbourg in 1988, and has since then restricted his position to either autonomy for the Tibetan people in the Tibet Autonomous Region within China, or extending the area of the autonomy to include parts of neighboring Chinese provinces inhabited by Tibetans. Among other reasons for independence, campaigners assert that Tibet has been historically independent. However, some dispute this claim by using different definitions of "Tibet", "historical" and "independence". The campaigners also argue that Tibetans are currently mistreated and denied certain human rights, although the Chinese government disputes this and claims progress in human rights. Various organizations with overlapping campaigns for independence and human rights have sought to pressure various governments to support Tibetan independence or to take punitive action against China for opposing it. 2016 Camp David negotiations In early November 2016, Chinese hackers breached White House computers. After accidentally sending an inappropriate tweet, United States President Selina Meyer would blame the Chinese hackers for the tweet and impose a series of strict sanctions on the Chinese. On December 19, 2016, President Meyer arrived at Camp David to negotiate with Chinese President Lu Chi-Jang, with the help of former Finnish Prime Minister Minna Häkkinen. Unbeknownst to the Americans, the Chinese economy was in a far worse state than anyone realized. In exchange for the lifting of the sanctions and the fulfillment of Chinese demands for industrial metals, the Chinese prepared to discuss a framework for Tibetan independence--a path to self-determination, similar to Hong Kong's 'one country, two systems' concept. Lu and Meyer were able to sign a deal on December 21, 2016. In January 2017, after finding out that her Presidency would end later that month, Meyer wanted to accelerate the process of Tibet's independence, and went through Qatari ambassador Mohammed bin Nasser bin Khalifa Al Jaffar. According to him, the Chinese are hesitant to move forward with Tibet now that she will be out of power. However, Meyer assures Jaffar that she will be a pivotal part in the Tom James administration, and that she will continue as his Vice President. However, the vote in the United States Senate on January 5, 2017, resulted in Laura Montez being elected as the new President, effectively putting Tibetan independence on hold. Freeing of Tibet On January 20, 2017, minutes into the presidency of Laura Montez, China officially released Tibet and sent the Tibetan spiritual leaders to Andrews Air Force Base. Montez was given immediate credit for the freeing of Tibet. In 2017, she was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. However, in October 2018, a leak revealed that Meyer was responsible for the freeing of Tibet all along. Meyer was awarded the Peace Summit Award in April 2020 for her work. Return to Chinese Sovereignty During the 2020 presidential election, Meyer negotiated with President Lu that she would return Tibet to Chinese sovereignty in exchange for his support during the primaries. Tibet would officially return to Chinese sovereignty sometime during Meyer's second presidency from 2021 to 2025. Appearances * Camp David * Inauguration